The end of the summer brings 26 new British and Canadian series, seasons, and specials to the US, plus what looks to be a romp of a film from the UK.
For updates about shows from the UK, Canada, and Ireland added to US linear TV and streaming channels throughout the month, see the British TV Viewing Guide.
Programs and dates are subject to change without prior notice.
Videos below may contain content that is not suitable for everyone.
NATIONAL PREMIERES
McDonald and Dodds: Season 1 (UK)
Renewed for a second season, this new mystery drama stars Jason Watkins (Hold the Sunset) as the quiet, unassuming DS Dodds and Tala Gouveia (Cold Feet) as the tough, driven DCI McDonald, a mismatched detective duo solving crimes in Britain’s historic city of Bath. (Read this article for more details.) Guest-starring Robert Lindsay (My Family) and Joanna Scanlan (No Offence), McDonald and Dodds: Season 1, a BritBox Original series, premieres in North America with its first feature-length episode on Tuesday, September 1, exclusively on BritBox. The second debuts on September 8.
Transplant (Canada)
This medical drama centers on Dr. Bashir “Bash” Hamed (Hamza Haq, Quantico), a Syrian doctor with battle-tested skills in emergency medicine who fled his country with his sister, Amira (Sirena Gulamgaus, Orphan Black). Together they struggle to build a new life in Canada as Bash strives to rebuild his career. Costarring Laurence Leboeuf (The Disappearance), John Hannah (Trust Me), Jim Watson (Mary Kills People), Ayisha Issa (Dark Matter), Torri Higginson (Stargate: Atlantis), and Kenny Wong (Frankie Drake Mysteries), Transplant premieres in the US on Tuesday, September 1, at 10 PM ET/PT, on NBC.
Young Wallander (UK)
Based on the iconic Swedish detective character created by Henning Mankell, this origin story sees Kurt Wallander (Adam Pålsson, Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves) investigating his first case — an incendiary hate-crime that stirs civil unrest — and focuses on both his professional and personal formative experiences as a recently-graduated police officer in his early twenties. Costarring Richard Dillane (Wolf Hall) and Leanne Best (Cold Feet), Young Wallander, a Netflix Original series, premieres globally on Thursday, September 3, exclusively on Netflix. (You can set a reminder for it now.)
Noughts + Crosses (UK)
Adapted from Book One in Malorie Blackman’s “Noughts & Crosses” YA novel series, this drama stars Jack Rowan (Born to Kill) and Masali Baduza (Trackers) as “Nought” Callum McGregor and “Cross” Sephy Hadley, star-crossed young adults, divided by their color but united in their love, in a world in which a ruling class of Black “Crosses” controls the country’s politics, wealth, and culture over an oppressed, impoverished underclass of white “Noughts” who are at the brink of revolt. Noughts + Crosses, a Peacock Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, September 4, exclusively on Peacock.
Moving On: Season 10 (UK)
This acclaimed anthology series from Jimmy McGovern (The Street) returns with five stories about people who reach a turning point in their lives and then move on, including a university cleaner posing as a lecturer, a teacher heading for a breakdown, a single mother reconnecting with her daughter’s father, a former homeless addict turning her life around, and a couple facing a choice about their remaining embryo. Moving On: Season 10 premieres in North America in its entirety on Tuesday, September 8, exclusively on BritBox. (Video is from Season 9)
The Duchess (UK)
Canadian actress, comedienne, and program presenter Katherine Ryan (Glitter Room) stars as a fictionalized version of herself in this new comedy series based loosely on her life in London. She plays a single mum juggling her career, her tween daughter, and her relationship with her boyfriend, all while weighing whether or not to have a child with her ex, i.e. her daughter’s dad and her nemesis. Costarring Rory Keenan (Come Home) and Steen Raskopoulos (Feel Good), The Duchess, a Netflix Original series, premieres globally on Friday, September 11, exclusively on Netflix. (You can set a reminder for it now.)
Animal Babies (UK)
This three-part documentary series follows the first breaths, first steps, and first feeds of some adorable baby animals growing up in challenging mountain, plains, and water environments, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest and most beautiful places on the planet. Animal Babies premieres in the US as part of BBC America’s “Wonderstruck” micro-net on Saturday, September 12, at 8 PM ET, on BBC America. (Photo: Caryn Becker/BBCA)
BBC Proms: Last Night of the Proms (UK)
This year marks the 125th birthday of the Proms, and the 2020 season, despite the challenging times we’re in, brings the spirit of the Proms to music lovers at home with treasures from the archive as well as incredible live performances. The eight-week season concludes with the famous “Last Night of the Proms,” which will be streamed on BritBox, live with the UK transmission. BBC Proms: Last Night of the Proms 2020 premieres in North America on Saturday, September 12, exclusively on BritBox. (Video is a compilation)
Lucy Worsley’s Royal Palace Secrets (UK)
In this newly-completed documentary special — filmed with a skeleton crew under stringent health protocols during the still ongoing pandemic — Lucy Worsley, historian and Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, takes viewers on an exclusive tour inside the forbidding Tower of London, the glorious Hampton Court, and the treasure-filled Kensington Palace, going beyond the velvet ropes into each building’s most secret places to uncover how each palace shaped a monarchy and a nation. Lucy Worsley’s Royal Palace Secrets premieres in the US on Sunday, September 13, at 7:30 PM ET, on PBS (check your local listings), PBS.org, and the PBS Video App. (Photo courtesy of Tom Hayward via PBS)
Van der Valk (UK)
Based on the crime thrillers of Nicolas Freeling, this remake of the 1972-1992 Barry Foster series stars Marc Warren (Hustle, Beecham House) as commissaris Piet van der Valk, a brilliant investigator who, with his team, solves baffling crimes in Amsterdam. Costarring Maimie McCoy (Wallander), Luke Allen-Gale (Dominion), Elliot Barnes-Worrell (Jericho), Emma Fielding (Les Misérables), and Darrell D’Silva (Game of Thrones), Van der Valk premieres in the US on Sunday, September 13, at 9 PM ET, on PBS (check your local listings). It will also stream on the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel.
Enslaved (Canada-UK)
Samuel L. Jackson leads viewers in this docuseries that sheds new light on 400 years of human trafficking from Africa to the New World. It traces his personal journey from the US to Gabon for his induction into the Benga tribe, and celebrates stories of resistance, hope, and accomplishment. Episodes follow the quest for a sunken slave ship, a personal journey by Samuel L. Jackson, and a historical investigation led by investigative journalists Simcha Jacobovici and Afua Hirsch. Enslaved premieres in the US on Monday, September 14, at 10 PM ET, on Epix.
The Third Day (UK-US)
This 6-part limited series opens with “Summer,” which stars Jude Law (Cold Mountain) as Sam, a man drawn to a mysterious island off the British coast, where he encounters a group of islanders set on preserving their traditions at any cost. “Winter” stars Naomie Harris (Spectre) as Helen, an outsider who comes to the island seeking answers, but whose arrival precipitates a fractious battle to decide its fate as the lines between fantasy and fact are distorted. The Third Day premieres in the US on Monday, September 14, at 9 PM ET/PT, exclusively on HBO. It will also be available for streaming on HBO Max.
Don’t Forget the Driver (UK)
Co-created by and starring Toby Jones (Detectorists), this dramedy series set in Bognor Regis follows single father and coach driver Peter Green (Jones), whose seemingly meaningless life is thrown into chaos by a sudden change in the tide, including the discovery of a dead body on the beach and a surprise stowaway onboard his coach. (Read what Toby Jones says about the series in this article.) Don’t Forget the Driver premieres in the US with its first episode on Tuesday, September 15, exclusively on BritBox. New episodes debut weekly.
Michael McIntyre: Showman (UK)
Multiple award-winning comedian Michael McIntyre makes his Netflix debut with this show, in which he recalls avoiding shark attacks in Australia, the strange relationship New Zealanders have with vowels, the difference between performing for a US audience vs. a British one, and his trademark tales of family life. Filmed at the London Palladium, Michael McIntyre: Showman, a Netflix Comedy Special, premieres globally on Tuesday, September 15, exclusively on Netflix. (You can set a reminder for it now.)
Criminal: UK: Season 2 (UK)
This critically-acclaimed cop drama returns with its innovative take on the police procedural in stories featuring four new cases, four new suspects, and one interrogation room that changes everything. Returning cast members include Katherine Kelly (Liar), Lee Ingleby (The A Word), and Rochenda Sandall (Line of Duty). Criminal: UK: Season 2, a Netflix Original series, premieres globally on Wednesday, September 16, exclusively on Netflix. (Photo by Colin Hutton © Netflix 2020)
Islands of Wonder (UK)
This nature documentary series takes viewers on a journey to Madagascar, Borneo, and Hawaii — three of the most exotic, mysterious, and remote islands on the planet. Isolated from the rest of the world, they harbor remarkable wildlife and pioneering human communities found nowhere else on Earth. Islands of Wonder premieres in the US on Wednesday, September 16, at 8 PM ET, on PBS (check your local listings). (Photo: Courtesy of Joe West/Shutterstock via PBS)
Departure (UK-Canada)
In this thriller, Flight 716 vanishes over the Atlantic Ocean, and Kendra Malley (Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife) and her mentor, Howard Lawson (Christopher Plummer, Beginners), are brought on to lead the investigation. When forces threaten to undermine their work and hamper their ability to locate the missing aircraft and any survivors, Kendra must find the truth and stop something like this from happening again. Departure, a Peacock Original series, premieres in the US on Thursday, September 17, exclusively on Peacock.
Long Way Up (UK)
Best friends Ewan McGregor (Star Wars) and Charley Boorman (The Serpent’s Kiss) reunite for another epic motorbike adventure in this follow-up to Long Way Down and Long Way Round. Covering 13,000 miles over 100 days, they journey on their electric Harley-Davidson LiveWires through 16 border crossings and 13 countries in South and Central America in their most challenging expedition to date. Long Way Up , an Apple TV+ Original series, premieres globally with its first three episodes on Friday, September 18, on Apple TV+. New episodes will roll out weekly. (Photo courtesy of Apple)
This Farming Life: Season 4 (UK)
The return of this BAFTA-winning documentary series follows the ups and downs of new farming families in Scotland and Northern Ireland as they face tough economic times and an uncertain future. Weaving intimate personal stories with the dramatic events that make up life on a farm, the twelve-part season features families carving out a living in some of Britain’s most beautiful landscapes. This Farming Life: Season 4 premieres in North America on Friday, September 18, exclusively on BritBox. (Photo courtesy of BritBox)
Last Tango in Halifax: Season 4 (UK)
This popular drama returns to find Alan (Derek Jacobi, Vicious) and Celia (Anne Reid, Sanditon) clashing over politics, Alan’s new job, and a wild local lad after seven years of marriage. Meanwhile, Caroline (Sarah Lancashire, The Accident) gets emotionally embroiled at work, Gillian (Nicola Walker, Unforgotten) has problems at the farm, John (Tony Gardner, Innocent) is back on the scene, and Alan’s brother, Ted (Timothy West, Gentleman Jack), visits from New Zealand. Last Tango in Halifax: Season 4 premieres in the US on Sunday, September 20, at 8 PM ET, on PBS (check your local listings).
Bang: Season 2 (Wales)
In the new season of this BAFTA Cymru award-winning bilingual crime drama, Port Talbot police officers Gina Jenkins (Catrin Stewart, Stella) and Luke Lloyd (Jack Parry-Jones, Our Girl) hunt for a serial killer targeting the men named in a rape case 10 years ago, while her brother, Sam (Jacob Ifan, Cuffs), just out of prison, finds his life turned upside down by violent crime once again. Featuring David Hayman (Trial & Retribution) and Alexander Vlahos (Versailles), Bang: Season 2 premieres in the US in its entirety on Monday, September 21, exclusively on Acorn TV. (Photo courtesy of Acorn TV)
Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father: Season 4 (UK)
Comedian and actor Jack Whitehall and his hilariously stuffy father, Michael, are back for more travel misadventures in the latest season of this unscripted comedy. After having taken on Southeast Asia, Europe, and America in the previous seasons, the pair head to Australia this time. Leave it to Jack to plan a visit to a nudist beach on Byron Bay and to get Michael to perform in drag with him in Sydney. Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father: Season 4, a Netflix Original series, premieres globally on Tuesday, September 22, exclusively on Netflix. (Video is from Season 3)
Enola Holmes (UK)
Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) stars as Enola Holmes — the teen sister of Sherlock (Henry Cavill, The Witcher) and Mycroft Holmes (Sam Claflin, The Hunger Games) — in this mystery-adventure film. After Enola discovers her mother (Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown) missing, she sets off to find her, becoming a super-sleuth in her own right as she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord. Enola Holmes, a Netflix Film, premieres globally on Wednesday, September 23, exclusively on Netflix. (You can set a reminder for it now.)
The Murders at White House Farm (UK)
Based on extensive research, interviews, and published accounts, this true-crime series is about the murders of three generations of one family at their isolated farm over 30 years ago. Initial evidence pointed to the mentally unstable daughter as the killer, but one detective didn’t buy it, and he uncovered new evidence that shed suspicion on another family member. Starring Freddie Fox (Year of the Rabbit), Mark Addy (New Blood), Stephen Graham (The Virtues), and Gemma Whelan (Gentleman Jack), The Murders at White House Farm premieres in the US on Thursday, September 24, exclusively on HBO Max.
Pride and Prejudice – Remastered (UK)
Adapted from Jane Austen’s novel, this 1995 period drama launched Jennifer Ehle (Zero Dark Thirty) and Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) to international fame. Now that it’s been remastered, you can watch it as you’ve never seen it before, as the story follows Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy as they overcome their differences to embrace their love for each other. The remastered Pride and Prejudice has its world premiere on Friday, September 25, exclusively on BritBox. (Video is NOT from the remastered version)
The Great Pottery Throw Down: Seasons 1-3 (UK)
Similar to The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee, this competition series sets out to find the UK’s best home potter. The first two seasons, presented by Sara Cox with judges Kate Malone and Keith Brymer Jones, feature 10 contestants. Following its BBC cancellation and three-year hiatus, the show was picked up by Channel 4, with Melanie Sykes as the host and Brymer Jones as judge for the 12 contestants. The Great Pottery Throw Down: Seasons 1-3 premieres in the US exclusively on HBO Max (date tba).
NON-PREMIERE PROGRAMS BEING ADDED TO STREAMING SERVICES
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Acorn TV and its digital channels, including Acorn TV on Amazon.
Public Enemies (UK)
This three-part drama explores the relationship between convicted murderer Eddie Mottram (Daniel Mays, White Lines), recently released from prison, and his probation officer, Paula Radnor (Anna Friel, Marcella), who’s just returned to work following a suspension. While struggling to adjust to life on the outside, Eddie tells Paula he didn’t kill his girlfriend. Public Enemies begins streaming Monday, September 7.
The Badness of King George IV (UK)
Oliver Ford Davies (Star Wars: Episodes 1 and 2) stars in this docudrama TV movie as King George IV, a dying, drug-addled monarch reliving key events from his colorful life as he’s haunted by the words of his critics. Costarring Robert Glenister (Hustle), The Badness of King George IV begins streaming Monday, September 14.
The Yorkshire Vet: Series 9 (UK)
Narrated by Christopher Timothy of All Creatures Great and Small, this observational documentary series takes viewers into the world behind the hit series inspired by the books of Alf Wight (aka James Herriot). It follows titular veterinarian Julian Norton, Alf’s former trainee Peter Wright, and the staff at the Skeldale Veterinary Centre in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Vet: Series 9 begins streaming Monday, September 21.
The Advocates (UK)
Set in Edinburgh, each season of this legal drama follows a single storyline. In Series 1, a doctor turns to lawyer Greg McDowell (Ewan Stewart, Florence Foster Jenkins) and Greg’s colleague, Katherine Dunbar (Isla Blair, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), when he suspects foul play in the death of a young prostitute he’d been treating at the local health clinic. In Series 2, a man accused of murdering his wife hires McDowell, whose investigation puts his own girlfriend (Rachel Weisz, The Favourite) in danger. Featuring Shirley Henderson (The Nest), Clive Russell (Catherine the Great), Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War), and Siobhan Redmond (Queens of Mystery), The Advocates begins streaming Monday, September 28.
The Black Velvet Gown (UK)
Adapted from Catherine Cookson‘s novel and set in 1830s Northumberland, this International Emmy® Award-winning two-part drama is the story of a mother (Janet McTeer, Ozark) and daughter (Geraldine Somerville, Prime Suspect: Tennison) facing the need to challenge and fight the prejudices of their age. Their destinies are shaped by the fact that they can read and write, a difference that sets them apart and catapults them to a different destiny than would have otherwise been their lot. The Black Velvet Gown begins streaming Monday, September 28.
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on BritBox and its digital channels, including BritBox on Amazon.
Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime (1983) (UK)
Francesca Annis (Home Fires) and James Warwick (Doctor Who) star as the famous crime-fighting duo, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, as the now-married couple solve mysteries and search for enemy spies as secret agents under the eagle eye of Scotland Yard in 1950s Britain. Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime begins streaming Tuesday, September 22.
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on HBO Max.
Doctor Who: Season 12 (UK)
The most recent season of this global sci-fi hit finds the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker, Broadchurch) and her friends Graham (Bradley Walsh, Law & Order: UK), Ryan (Tosin Cole, Hollyoaks), and Yasmin (Mandip Gill, Love, Lies and Records) facing Cybermen, the Judoon, and The Master (!), amongst others, as they travel across time and space to save humanity. Doctor Who: Season 12 begins streaming Tuesday, September 1.
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Ovation TV’s website (see links below) and via the Ovation NOW app.
OVATION TV’S ART HOUSE (Art House webpage)
Amy Winehouse: A Final Goodbye (UK)
This 70-minute documentary delivers an intimate look into the life and times of Amy Winehouse, chronicling her rise to pop superstardom and offering a sensitive portrayal of a transformative star and the inner demons that inspired her work and eventually caused her untimely death. Amy Winehouse: A Final Goodbye begins streaming Tuesday, September 1.
Stealing Van Gogh (UK)
In this hour-long documentary, art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon uncovers the truth behind the greatest art heist of the 21st century: the theft of two priceless paintings from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in a brutal and audacious robbery in December 2002. Stealing Van Gogh begins streaming Tuesday, September 1.
OVATION TV’S MYSTERY ALLEY (Ovation TV “watch” page)
Secret State (UK)
Based on Chris Mullins’s novel A Very British Coup, this four-part political drama stars Gabriel Byrne as Deputy Prime Minister Tom Dawkins, who’s thrust to the fore by catastrophic events and ends up forced to take on the might of the Establishment. (Read this article for further details.) Secret State begins airing on Ovation’s “Mystery Alley” on Saturday, September 12, at 7 PM ET; all episodes will also be available for on-demand viewing at ovationtv.com/watch and via the Ovation NOW app.
For additional titles being added to Ovation TV’s Mystery Alley, read this article.
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below as no-additional-charge titles for Amazon Prime members on Prime Video.
The Crimson Field (UK)
This period drama follows the lives of the doctors, nurses and volunteers, as well as the patients, at a fictional field hospital in France during World War I. Starring Hermione Norris (Cold Feet), Oona Chaplin (Taboo), Suranne Jones (Gentleman Jack), Richard Rankin (Outlander), Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey), and Jeremy Swift (Foyle’s War), The Crimson Field begins streaming Tuesday, September 1.
George Gently: Season 1 (UK)
Based loosely on the crime novels by Alan Hunter, this popular mystery-crime drama series follows the detective duo of Chief Inspector George Gently (Martin Shaw, Judge John Deed) and DS John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby, Criminal: UK) as they investigate and solve murders and other crimes in 1960s North East England. George Gently: Season 1 begins streaming Tuesday, September 1.
Keeping Faith: Season 1 (UK/Wales)
Eve Myles (Torchwood) stars in this mystery thriller as Faith Howells, a wife, mother, and solicitor whose life is turned upside after her husband, Evan (Bradley Freegard, Hinterland), disappears while she’s on maternity leave from the couple’s law firm after the birth of their third child, and she becomes the police’s prime suspect when Evan fails to resurface. Keeping Faith: Season 1 begins streaming Tuesday, September 1.
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Sundance Now and its digital channels, including Sundance Now on Amazon.
River (UK)
This mystery-crime drama, which I named the best new UK drama series of 2015, stars Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl) as John River, a brilliant but troubled detective who is wracked by love and loss and torn between the living and the dead while investigating the murder of his former partner, Stevie (Nicola Walker, Unforgotten). River begins streaming Thursday, September 10.
Slings & Arrows: Season 2 (Canada)
In its second season, this award-winning comedy about a struggling Shakespearean theatre troupe explores the conflicts of middle age and rebranding: Am I who I want to be or not to be? Starring Paul Gross (Tales of the City), Martha Burnes (Remedy), Stephen Ouimette (Mentors), and Mark McKinney (Superstore), Slings & Arrows: Season 2 begins streaming Thursday, September 24.
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Did you miss any of the new shows from previous days, weeks, or months? Check out the British TV Viewing Guide and Archives to find out.
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For details about the September premieres of shows from Australia and New Zealand, visit The Down Under TV Place. For those about the debuts of original-language, English-subtitled programs from Europe, visit The Euro TV Place.
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